Philip Atkinson: "President-for-Life" Bush
Quibus_Licet
Philip Atkinson
Author: Philip Atkinson
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: August 3, 2007
While democratic government is better than dictatorships and
theocracies, it has its pitfalls. FSM Contributing Editor Philip
Atkinson describes some of the difficulties facing President Bush
today.
Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy
By Philip Atkinson
President George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States.
He was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2005 after being
chosen by the majority of citizens in America to be president.
Yet in 2007 he is generally despised, with many citizens of Western
civilization expressing contempt for his person and his policies,
sentiments which now abound on the Internet. This rage at President
Bush is an inevitable result of the system of government demanded by
the people, which is Democracy.
The inadequacy of Democracy, rule by the majority, is undeniable - for
it demands adopting ideas because they are popular, rather than
because they are wise. This means that any man chosen to act as an
agent of the people is placed in an invidious position: if he commits
folly because it is popular, then he will be held responsible for the
inevitable result. If he refuses to commit folly, then he will be
detested by most citizens because he is frustrating their demands.
When faced with the possible threat that the Iraqis might be amassing
terrible weapons that could be used to slay millions of citizens of
Western Civilization, President Bush took the only action prudence
demanded and the electorate allowed: he conquered Iraq with an army.
This dangerous and expensive act did destroy the Iraqi regime, but
left an American army without any clear purpose in a hostile country
and subject to attack. If the Army merely returns to its home, then
the threat it ended would simply return.
The wisest course would have been for President Bush to use his
nuclear weapons to slaughter Iraqis until they complied with his
demands, or until they were all dead. Then there would be little risk
or expense and no American army would be left exposed. But if he did
this, his cowardly electorate would have instantly ended his term of
office, if not his freedom or his life.
The simple truth that modern weapons now mean a nation must practice
genocide or commit suicide. Israel provides the perfect example. If
the Israelis do not raze Iran, the Iranians will fulfill their boast
and wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Yet Israel is not popular,
and so is denied permission to defend itself. In the same vein,
President Bush cannot do what is necessary for the survival of
Americans. He cannot use the nation's powerful weapons. All he can do
is try and discover a result that will be popular with Americans.
As there appears to be no sensible result of the invasion of Iraq that
will be popular with his countrymen other than retreat, President Bush
is reviled; he has become another victim of Democracy.
By elevating popular fancy over truth, Democracy is clearly an enemy
of not just truth, but duty and justice, which makes it the worst form
of government. President Bush must overcome not just the situation in
Iraq, but democratic government.
However, President Bush has a valuable historical example that he
could choose to follow.
When the ancient Roman general Julius Caesar was struggling to conquer
ancient Gaul, he not only had to defeat the Gauls, but he also had to
defeat his political enemies in Rome who would destroy him the moment
his tenure as consul (president) ended.
Caesar pacified Gaul by mass slaughter; he then used his successful
army to crush all political opposition at home and establish himself
as permanent ruler of ancient Rome. This brilliant action not only
ended the personal threat to Caesar, but ended the civil chaos that
was threatening anarchy in ancient Rome - thus marking the start of
the ancient Roman Empire that gave peace and prosperity to the known
world.
If President Bush copied Julius Caesar by ordering his army to empty
Iraq of Arabs and repopulate the country with Americans, he would
achieve immediate results: popularity with his military; enrichment of
America by converting an Arabian Iraq into an American Iraq (therefore
turning it from a liability to an asset); and boost American prestiege
while terrifying American enemies.
He could then follow Caesar's example and use his newfound popularity
with the military to wield military power to become the first
permanent president of America, and end the civil chaos caused by the
continually squabbling Congress and the out-of-control Supreme Court.
President Bush can fail in his duty to himself, his country, and his
God, by becoming "ex-president" Bush or he can become "President-for-
Life" Bush: the conqueror of Iraq, who brings sense to the Congress
and sanity to the Supreme Court. Then who would be able to stop Bush
from emulating Augustus Caesar and becoming ruler of the world? For
only an America united under one ruler has the power to save humanity
from the threat of a new Dark Age wrought by terrorists armed with
nuclear weapons.
# #
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Philip Atkinson is the
British born founder of ourcivilisation.com and author of A Study of
Our Decline. He is a philosopher specializing in issues concerning the
preservation of Western civilization. Mr. Atkinson receives mail at
r...@ourcivilisation.com.